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19 September 2012

course flyers

These flyers are for English 297A: Sports / Ethics / Literature, a course I'm teaching this spring here at Penn State. (Knowing the school gives important context for the second flyer.) Full description after the flyers.

flyer 1: Let's Go.

flyer #2, with h/t to Academic Coach Taylor.This one captures the spirit with which this course originated.

flyer #3, aimed at the Paterno Fellows:

Flyer #4, for Schreyer Honors College Scholars, Paterno Fellows, and English Honors (with h/t to the computer setup in SHC's Atherton Hall (photoshop really is better):

And finally, the description as it currently stands:

Sports / Ethics / Literature

There may be no better time for engaging and developing
thoughtful approaches to sports and sports culture than now. Sports can tell us
a lot about the cultures that promote them. The coach, the athlete, the
spectator, and the gamer all stand as figures through which people articulate
and test their values and desires. Authors, too, have often turned to sports to
comment on the human condition. But far from being timeless or nonspecific, their
commentary reveals a good deal about how particular cultures form identities.
Novels from previous decades invite readers to think about the historical and
political development of gaming culture, dance marathons, or women’s baseball
leagues. A novel featuring a philosophical quarterback links football to
metaphysics, and a science-fiction story in which skill sets from past NBA legends
are distributed to new players by lottery offers potent commentary on race. In
short, culture can be read through sports and sports through culture. The
readings for this course will encourage students to reflect on social
interaction, human behavior, and ethics in the context of organized athletic
competition.

During a unit focused on Penn State,
students will spend time in the Penn State Sports Archive exploring the
institution’s history with regard to sports ranging from Archery to Wrestling.

Students are encouraged to petition for
this course to count for General Humanities requirement, or to honors-option the
course.

Comments

course flyers

These flyers are for English 297A: Sports / Ethics / Literature, a course I'm teaching this spring here at Penn State. (Knowing the school gives important context for the second flyer.) Full description after the flyers.

flyer 1: Let's Go.

flyer #2, with h/t to Academic Coach Taylor.This one captures the spirit with which this course originated.

flyer #3, aimed at the Paterno Fellows:

Flyer #4, for Schreyer Honors College Scholars, Paterno Fellows, and English Honors (with h/t to the computer setup in SHC's Atherton Hall (photoshop really is better):

And finally, the description as it currently stands:

Sports / Ethics / Literature

There may be no better time for engaging and developing
thoughtful approaches to sports and sports culture than now. Sports can tell us
a lot about the cultures that promote them. The coach, the athlete, the
spectator, and the gamer all stand as figures through which people articulate
and test their values and desires. Authors, too, have often turned to sports to
comment on the human condition. But far from being timeless or nonspecific, their
commentary reveals a good deal about how particular cultures form identities.
Novels from previous decades invite readers to think about the historical and
political development of gaming culture, dance marathons, or women’s baseball
leagues. A novel featuring a philosophical quarterback links football to
metaphysics, and a science-fiction story in which skill sets from past NBA legends
are distributed to new players by lottery offers potent commentary on race. In
short, culture can be read through sports and sports through culture. The
readings for this course will encourage students to reflect on social
interaction, human behavior, and ethics in the context of organized athletic
competition.

During a unit focused on Penn State,
students will spend time in the Penn State Sports Archive exploring the
institution’s history with regard to sports ranging from Archery to Wrestling.

Students are encouraged to petition for
this course to count for General Humanities requirement, or to honors-option the
course.